Land Snails

Photo(s): Views of a Glyphyalinia lewisiana shell © Larry Watrous.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Glyphyalinia lewisiana (Clapp, 1908)

Family: Zonitidae
Common name: Pale Glyph

Identification
Width: 3.5 mm
Height: 1.5 mm
Whorls: 3.9-4.1

Glyphyalinia lewisiana is a small glyph species. Its shell is depressed, the apical surface of the moderately-rapidly expanding whorls is nearly flat. The umbilicus is wide, a bit over one fifth of the shell width. The shell is smooth, shiny and translucent yellowish-white. The shell surface is sculptured with distinct, closely and regularly spaced growth lines and is without spiral sculpture.

Ecology
This species appears to be acidophilic. It is usually found under stones and in leaf litter on sand, sandstone, and other non-calcareous soils.

Taxonomy
Synonyms for Glyphyalinia lewisiana are Vitrea lewisiana and Retinella lewisiana.

Distribution
Although widely distributed from Virginia to the Gulf Coast and west to Missouri, records are uncommon and widely scattered. In Virginia the species is reported from a few southwestern counties but it may occur in more locations and over a much wider area.

Conservation
NatureServe Global Rank: G5, Secure.

 

John Slapcinsky 10/2012

Range Map (click to enlarge)